Inflammatory responses within blood vasculature and tissue result in the recruitment of immune response cells to the site of disease or injury. Immune response cells (e.g., macrophage cells, dendritic cells, polynuclear monocytes (PNMs), eosinophils, neutrophils, and T cells) are know to participate in immune responses that cause inflammatory diseases, including diseases of the central nervous system, vascular disease, and autoimmune disease.
The compositions and methods of the present invention harness inflammatory response cells to deliver optical imaging agents from a remote site to the inflammatory foci to facilitate tracking of the progression of activated immune response cells through the body and into the inflamed tissue.